ics could fail to see that the sacking of the Cathedral would set the whole Church of England in arms,Mike Smith Tröjor, and ruin the cause for which they were fighting. As it was, much damage had been done; for whilst the gang within had been smashing all which they could lay their hands upon, others outside had chipped off cornices and gargoyles,Milan Lucic Tröjor, and had even dragged the lead covering from the roof and hurled it down in great sheets to their companions beneath. This last led to some profit, for the army had no great store of ammunition, so the lead was gathered up by Monmouth’s orders and recast into bullets. The prisoners were held in custody for a time, but it was deemed unwise to punish them, so that they were finally pardoned and dismissed from the army.
A parade of our whole force was held in the fields outside the town upon the second day of our stay at Wells, the weather having at last become warm and sunny. The foot was then found to muster six regiments of nine hundred men,CG Dame Brookvale Hooded Strøk, or five thousand four hundred in all. Of these fifteen hundred were musqueteers, two thousand were pikemen, and the rest were scythesmen or peasants with flails and hammers. A few bodies,PJS Dameklær Alaska Parkas, such as our own or those from Taunton, might fairly lay claim to be soldiers, but the most of them were still labourers and craftsmen with weapons in their hands. Yet, ill-armed and ill-drilled as they were,Dmitrij Jaskin Tröjor, they were still strong robust Englishmen,Mikko Rantanen Tröjor, full of native courage and of religious zeal. The light and fickle Monmouth began to take heart once more at the sight of their sturdy bearing,Ted Lindsay Tröjor, and at the sound of their hearty cheers. I heard him as I sat my horse beside his staff speak exultantly to those around him, and ask whether these fine fellows could possibly be beaten by mercenary half-hearted hirelings.
‘What say you, Wade!’ he cried. ‘Are we never to see a smile on that sad face of yours? Do you not see a woolsack in store for you as you look upon these brave fellows?’
‘God forbid that I should say a word to damp your Majesty’s ardour,PJS Dameklær Deniela Vest,’ the lawyer answered; ‘yet I cannot but remember that there was a time when your Majesty, at the head of these same hirelings, did drive men as brave as these in headlong rout from Bothwell Bridge.’
‘True, true!’ said the King, passing his hand over his forehead — a favourite motion when he was worried and annoyed. ‘They were bold men, the western Covenanters, yet they could not stand against the rush of our battalions. But they had had no training, whereas these can fight in line and fire a platoon as well as one would wish to see.’
‘If we hadna a gun nor a patronal among us,Curtis Lazar Tröjor,’ said Ferguson, ‘if we hadna sae muckle as a sword, but just oor ain honds,David Desharnais Tröjor, yet would the Lard gie us the victory, if it seemed good in His a’ seeing een.’
‘All battles are but chance work, your Majesty,Cody Franson Tröjor,’ remarked Saxon, whose sword-arm was bound round with his kerchief. ‘Some lucky turn, some slip or chance which none can foresee,Bryan Little Tröjor, is ever likely to turn the scale. I have lost when I have looked
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